MCGREGOR SCORES LATE, BUT SLEDGE DEV TEAM FALLS SHORT IN SERIES OPENER

INDIAN TRAIL, N.C. – Tyler McGregor (Forest, Ont.) scored in the final to minute to make it a one-goal
game, but Canada’s National Sledge Development Team dropped a 2-1 decision to the United States in the opener
of a three-game series Thursday night.

It’s just the second time in 10 all-time meetings that Canada has lost to its North American rivals – the
Canadians won all six games during the 2010-11 season and took two of three in a series in Amherstburg, Ont.,
in February.

After a scoreless opening 20 minutes, the Americans took a 1-0 lead in the first minute of the second
period thanks to Jeremy Lyon, and doubled their advantage when Ahmad Karimzada beat Canadian netminder Kris
Dutkiewicz (Kitchener, Ont.) five-and-a-half minutes into the third.

David Grenier (Windsor, Ont.) and Josh MacDonald (Surrey, B.C.) set up McGregor with 33 seconds to go, but
that would be all the offence the Canadians could muster.

Dutkiewicz starred in the Canadian net despite the loss, making 22 saves as the U.S. held a 24-12
advantage in shots on goal, including 10-3 in the third period when the Americans pushed to extend their
lead.

The teams return to the ice at the Extreme Ice Center, just outside of Charlotte, on Friday night for Game
2 (7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT) before wrapping up the series Saturday afternoon (1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT).